G-20 Finance Officials Meet Amid Policy Divisions
By VOA News
13 March 2009
Finance ministers and central bankers from G-20 nations struggled to find common ground Friday as they began a two-day meeting near London on ways to ease the global recession.
The group is expected to back calls to double the International Monetary Fund's resources and expand the lender's powers to help emerging economies hit by a collapse in global demand and a sharp reduction in available credit.
But U.S. and European leaders continue to disagree whether more government spending or tighter regulation of the international financial markets is the best way to tackle the growing economic crisis.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is expected to press for a coordinated stimulus and lower taxes to spur growth. But many European leaders say instituting global rules for banks, tax havens and hedge funds is more urgent.
World Bank President Robert Zoellick speaks to reporters in London, 13 Mar 09
World Bank President Robert Zoellick urged officials to take strong and effective action, saying this is turning into a "dangerous" year for the economy.
As he arrived for Friday's meeting, Zoellick warned that continued fiscal stimulus without stabilizing the banking sector would result in nothing more than a "sugar high" for the world economy - temporary relief with no lasting benefits.
The problem of how to recapitalize the banks and clean up the "toxic" assets weighing down their balance sheets remains a key unsolved issue.
On Friday, a global association of financial firms, the Washington-based Institute of International Finance, described the uncertainty surrounding the size and value of those assets as "the fault line of the financial crisis."
The G-20 officials are using the meeting of leading industrialized and developing economies to set the stage for a summit of national leaders scheduled for April 2nd.
13 March 2009
Tsvangirai crash driver's lawyer Chris Mhike on BTH
The driver of the truck that killed Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s wife Susan, appeared in a Chivhu court on Monday, charged with culpable homicide. Thirty-five year old Chinoona Mwanda drove the Nissan UD truck that hit Tsvangirai’s Land Cruiser. Human rights lawyer Chris Mhike will defend the driver in court and speaks to Lance Guma about what is expected to be a high profile case. Did the driver swerve to avoid a hump, or did he fall asleep while driving? Is he suicidal as reported? Mhike gives the driver’s side of the story.
Interview broadcast 12 March 2009
Lance: The controversy over the tragic car crash which claimed the life of Susan Tsvangirai continues to rage in and outside Zimbabwe . Meanwhile the driver of the truck that was involved in that particular crash appeared in a Chivhu court on Monday charged with culpable homicide. Thirty-five year old Chinoona Mwanda was the driver of the Nissan UD truck that hit Tsvangirai’s Land Cruiser causing it to overturn 3 times and landing on its roof. Human rights lawyer Chris Mhike has been hired to represent the driver and is arguing that he was not to blame for the accident, blaming instead the poor state of the road. Earlier this week I spoke to Chris Mhike who is defending the driver and asked him what happened in court?
Mhike: The initial appearance in respect of the driver who was involved in a road traffic accident with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, which accident unfortunately resulted in the death of his wife. Eh when we appeared before this court, proceedings were designed to achieve at least 3 objectives. The first being for the accused person to appear formally before a court of law and be made aware of the exact charges that he is facing. So it was therefore a first appearance. But because my client had also been in custody since the date of the accident we also had to proceed to seek the restoration of his liberty through a bail application.
So the appearance was also designed for the bail application to be made. Then lastly it was a remand appearance, so that he would be remanded to a further date to enable the state to finalize matters. So this is what happened, we went ahead and made application for bail which was granted. The application for bail succeeded and it was granted on the following conditions.
Firstly that he should pay Z$100 re-valued and secondly that he should not interfere with witnesses and thirdly that he should submit his passport with the clerk of court at Chivhu Magistrates Court. And fourthly that he should report twice in a week that is every Monday and every Friday at the nearest police station where he resides. Then lastly that he resides, continues to reside at his given address until the matter is finalized. In respect of the remand his matter was remanded to 23rd March 2009 at which date we will hear how far the state has gone with investigations.
Lance: And what are the exact charges that have been preferred on your client?
Mhike: My client is facing charges of culpable homicide, that is the killing of a person as a result of negligence.
Lance: Okay and how did he plead in this case?
Mhike: The first appearance normally does not go into the plea. He was simply informed of the charge that he is facing without having to plead to the charge. So we haven’t reached that stage yet of him pleading. That will follow subsequently at subsequent hearings.
Lance: Do you think Mr. Mhike the high profile nature of this case will prejudice your client in the sense that it involves very prominent people?
Mhike: Eh well indeed, my client is a very ordinary person, a very ordinary member of society who hitherto had not been subjected to or exposed to any form of public appearances or public coverage. He is shaken firstly by the accident itself. He is deeply distressed by the fact that he was involved in this particular accident which resulted in a fatality and the injury of persons. Then of course he is very alive to the fact that he was involved in an accident where the Prime Minister and his wife and close persons were involved. That also definitely weighs in heavily on him. It has dawned on him that this has created a very prominent sort of case and he is still in a daze. He is not used to this kind of exposure. I believe that after a little while the dust will settle. He will get used to the idea that he will have to face the public. Many members of the public are very angry as a result of this accident. You will appreciate that the Prime Minister is a very popular man and his wife who is now late was also a very popular figure in Zimbabwean society. Therefore there is that recognition that there is a lot of anger. We hope that with time, the tempers will calm a little and that we can proceed with the matter without the matter being affected adversely by the emotions and by the prominence of the personalities involved.
Lance: I don’t know if you can maybe quickly help us clarify this controversy. There is a lot of controversy surrounding whether he (driver) hit a hump or a pothole and some MDC officials who visited the scene are saying that particular stretch of the road does not have any potholes. What have you been able to come up with there?
Mhike: Well I did visit the scene of the accident on Saturday the 7th of March 2009 . I visited the scene again on Sunday the 8th of March and today Monday the 9th March 2009 . There is definitely a patch of the road where the tar, the top layer of the tar did not stick properly with the immediate bottom layer and that, a mound of tar was pushed forward and it solidified on a particular section to create a hump. So I have noticed that it is not level. That portion of the accident is not level. So there is, I would confirm that I have personally observed a mound which one may describe as a hump.
Lance: We also understand there is a female passenger or there was a female passenger in Mr. Mwanda’s truck who is confirming the same?
Mhike: Indeed, indeed, there was another passenger in Mr. Mwanda’s car but her testimony is yet to be produced. That is reserved for the trial stage of the matter.
Lance: How worrying is it for you, Mr. Mhike, some reports are saying your client is suicidal, is this true?
Mhike: Well, um what I can say is that he has been deeply distressed and shaken by the accident which I believe is a normal reaction by most drivers in the aftermath of an accident. Most drivers would be shaken and in that sort of state but I would not say suicidal. I would say he has been distressed and very shaken by the accident. I would say he is out of danger. He has his brother and his wife and other family members around him now who will monitor him closely and ensure that he does not get out of control. I did point out to the magistrate that what in fact my client needs is not incarceration but perhaps some counseling services. I trust that the relatives of my client will take that up and ensure that he gets professional assistance in dealing with this most unfortunate incident.
Lance: I keep saying final question, final question and this definitely is my final question. There was some talk about him (driver) sleeping at the wheel. Eh what has he said regarding this?
Mhike: Well I did put this issue to him that there were allegations or reports that he had been sleeping on the wheel. He has flatly denied that allegation. He insists that he was very alert and he was keeping a proper lookout of the road. He maintains that the hump suddenly appeared. This mound on the road suddenly appeared without any due notice, no warning signs whatsoever prior to him hitting the hump and that any other driver probably would have been destabilized. He maintains that after hitting that hump, everything that happened thereafter was totally beyond his control.
Lance: That was human rights lawyer Chris Mhike who is defending the driver involved in the Tsvangirai car crash last Friday. Now a team of investigators immediately dispatched by the MDC on Friday evening were briefly arrested by the police and had their photographic equipment confiscated. Senior MDC official Eddie Cross told us on Monday that the two teams were sent to the site, to carry out preliminary investigations, with the first team arriving on the scene before police had gathered. The group, which included the Vice President of the Commercial Farmers Union Deon Theron, was promptly arrested.
We move on to another debating point which is why Tsvangirai never received a police escort as Prime Minister. Finance Minister Tendai Biti said the accident could have been avoided if this had been provided. No word has come from the MDC over whether they made this request. But we did speak to our correspondent Simon Muchemwa who confirmed that when Tsvangirai arrived from Botswana on Monday he travelled from the airport without any police escort. So it does look like there is widespread belief the Prime Minister might be unwilling to have a police motorcade as it is long associated with the extravagance of Mugabe’s regime.
Its interesting I’m sure most of our listeners will remember that last year police confiscated an armour plated BMW X5 vehicle that Tsvangirai was meant to use during his presidential campaigns. Now we also spoke to his former presidential spokesperson George Sibotshiwe who told us that Friday’s accident could have been averted had Tsvangirai been using that vehicle instead. We also understand from some reports, that armour plated BMW vehicle is actually parked in the sun at a Lupane police station and the colour of the vehicle is actually fading away. It does look like Prime Minister Tsvangirai has not had that vehicle returned to him.
And some are looking at the abduction and continued detention of the MDC chief of security, Chris Dhlamini. Clearly chief of security there…? Would this accident have happened if he was not in custody? All these are just debating points and in the absence of a proper investigation all this remains speculation. Of course we know Zimbabwe also has a long history of car accidents with several prominent people having died as a result, Moven Mahachi, Christopher Ushewokunze, Zororo Duri, Josiah Tongogara just before independence. There is a long list of people who have died in this particular way. So there is just cause for people to speculate.
But it’s also very important to mention in this particular case that the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai himself has said he does not suspect any foul play and that if this was an engineered accident there is one in a thousand chance of that having happened. So all these points need to be acknowledged.
And that does it for this edition of Behind the Headlines; I do hope the interview with Chris Mhike the lawyer defending the driver involved in this accident will help to shed some light on the circumstances
Shortwave Radio
Interview broadcast 12 March 2009
Lance: The controversy over the tragic car crash which claimed the life of Susan Tsvangirai continues to rage in and outside Zimbabwe . Meanwhile the driver of the truck that was involved in that particular crash appeared in a Chivhu court on Monday charged with culpable homicide. Thirty-five year old Chinoona Mwanda was the driver of the Nissan UD truck that hit Tsvangirai’s Land Cruiser causing it to overturn 3 times and landing on its roof. Human rights lawyer Chris Mhike has been hired to represent the driver and is arguing that he was not to blame for the accident, blaming instead the poor state of the road. Earlier this week I spoke to Chris Mhike who is defending the driver and asked him what happened in court?
Mhike: The initial appearance in respect of the driver who was involved in a road traffic accident with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, which accident unfortunately resulted in the death of his wife. Eh when we appeared before this court, proceedings were designed to achieve at least 3 objectives. The first being for the accused person to appear formally before a court of law and be made aware of the exact charges that he is facing. So it was therefore a first appearance. But because my client had also been in custody since the date of the accident we also had to proceed to seek the restoration of his liberty through a bail application.
So the appearance was also designed for the bail application to be made. Then lastly it was a remand appearance, so that he would be remanded to a further date to enable the state to finalize matters. So this is what happened, we went ahead and made application for bail which was granted. The application for bail succeeded and it was granted on the following conditions.
Firstly that he should pay Z$100 re-valued and secondly that he should not interfere with witnesses and thirdly that he should submit his passport with the clerk of court at Chivhu Magistrates Court. And fourthly that he should report twice in a week that is every Monday and every Friday at the nearest police station where he resides. Then lastly that he resides, continues to reside at his given address until the matter is finalized. In respect of the remand his matter was remanded to 23rd March 2009 at which date we will hear how far the state has gone with investigations.
Lance: And what are the exact charges that have been preferred on your client?
Mhike: My client is facing charges of culpable homicide, that is the killing of a person as a result of negligence.
Lance: Okay and how did he plead in this case?
Mhike: The first appearance normally does not go into the plea. He was simply informed of the charge that he is facing without having to plead to the charge. So we haven’t reached that stage yet of him pleading. That will follow subsequently at subsequent hearings.
Lance: Do you think Mr. Mhike the high profile nature of this case will prejudice your client in the sense that it involves very prominent people?
Mhike: Eh well indeed, my client is a very ordinary person, a very ordinary member of society who hitherto had not been subjected to or exposed to any form of public appearances or public coverage. He is shaken firstly by the accident itself. He is deeply distressed by the fact that he was involved in this particular accident which resulted in a fatality and the injury of persons. Then of course he is very alive to the fact that he was involved in an accident where the Prime Minister and his wife and close persons were involved. That also definitely weighs in heavily on him. It has dawned on him that this has created a very prominent sort of case and he is still in a daze. He is not used to this kind of exposure. I believe that after a little while the dust will settle. He will get used to the idea that he will have to face the public. Many members of the public are very angry as a result of this accident. You will appreciate that the Prime Minister is a very popular man and his wife who is now late was also a very popular figure in Zimbabwean society. Therefore there is that recognition that there is a lot of anger. We hope that with time, the tempers will calm a little and that we can proceed with the matter without the matter being affected adversely by the emotions and by the prominence of the personalities involved.
Lance: I don’t know if you can maybe quickly help us clarify this controversy. There is a lot of controversy surrounding whether he (driver) hit a hump or a pothole and some MDC officials who visited the scene are saying that particular stretch of the road does not have any potholes. What have you been able to come up with there?
Mhike: Well I did visit the scene of the accident on Saturday the 7th of March 2009 . I visited the scene again on Sunday the 8th of March and today Monday the 9th March 2009 . There is definitely a patch of the road where the tar, the top layer of the tar did not stick properly with the immediate bottom layer and that, a mound of tar was pushed forward and it solidified on a particular section to create a hump. So I have noticed that it is not level. That portion of the accident is not level. So there is, I would confirm that I have personally observed a mound which one may describe as a hump.
Lance: We also understand there is a female passenger or there was a female passenger in Mr. Mwanda’s truck who is confirming the same?
Mhike: Indeed, indeed, there was another passenger in Mr. Mwanda’s car but her testimony is yet to be produced. That is reserved for the trial stage of the matter.
Lance: How worrying is it for you, Mr. Mhike, some reports are saying your client is suicidal, is this true?
Mhike: Well, um what I can say is that he has been deeply distressed and shaken by the accident which I believe is a normal reaction by most drivers in the aftermath of an accident. Most drivers would be shaken and in that sort of state but I would not say suicidal. I would say he has been distressed and very shaken by the accident. I would say he is out of danger. He has his brother and his wife and other family members around him now who will monitor him closely and ensure that he does not get out of control. I did point out to the magistrate that what in fact my client needs is not incarceration but perhaps some counseling services. I trust that the relatives of my client will take that up and ensure that he gets professional assistance in dealing with this most unfortunate incident.
Lance: I keep saying final question, final question and this definitely is my final question. There was some talk about him (driver) sleeping at the wheel. Eh what has he said regarding this?
Mhike: Well I did put this issue to him that there were allegations or reports that he had been sleeping on the wheel. He has flatly denied that allegation. He insists that he was very alert and he was keeping a proper lookout of the road. He maintains that the hump suddenly appeared. This mound on the road suddenly appeared without any due notice, no warning signs whatsoever prior to him hitting the hump and that any other driver probably would have been destabilized. He maintains that after hitting that hump, everything that happened thereafter was totally beyond his control.
Lance: That was human rights lawyer Chris Mhike who is defending the driver involved in the Tsvangirai car crash last Friday. Now a team of investigators immediately dispatched by the MDC on Friday evening were briefly arrested by the police and had their photographic equipment confiscated. Senior MDC official Eddie Cross told us on Monday that the two teams were sent to the site, to carry out preliminary investigations, with the first team arriving on the scene before police had gathered. The group, which included the Vice President of the Commercial Farmers Union Deon Theron, was promptly arrested.
We move on to another debating point which is why Tsvangirai never received a police escort as Prime Minister. Finance Minister Tendai Biti said the accident could have been avoided if this had been provided. No word has come from the MDC over whether they made this request. But we did speak to our correspondent Simon Muchemwa who confirmed that when Tsvangirai arrived from Botswana on Monday he travelled from the airport without any police escort. So it does look like there is widespread belief the Prime Minister might be unwilling to have a police motorcade as it is long associated with the extravagance of Mugabe’s regime.
Its interesting I’m sure most of our listeners will remember that last year police confiscated an armour plated BMW X5 vehicle that Tsvangirai was meant to use during his presidential campaigns. Now we also spoke to his former presidential spokesperson George Sibotshiwe who told us that Friday’s accident could have been averted had Tsvangirai been using that vehicle instead. We also understand from some reports, that armour plated BMW vehicle is actually parked in the sun at a Lupane police station and the colour of the vehicle is actually fading away. It does look like Prime Minister Tsvangirai has not had that vehicle returned to him.
And some are looking at the abduction and continued detention of the MDC chief of security, Chris Dhlamini. Clearly chief of security there…? Would this accident have happened if he was not in custody? All these are just debating points and in the absence of a proper investigation all this remains speculation. Of course we know Zimbabwe also has a long history of car accidents with several prominent people having died as a result, Moven Mahachi, Christopher Ushewokunze, Zororo Duri, Josiah Tongogara just before independence. There is a long list of people who have died in this particular way. So there is just cause for people to speculate.
But it’s also very important to mention in this particular case that the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai himself has said he does not suspect any foul play and that if this was an engineered accident there is one in a thousand chance of that having happened. So all these points need to be acknowledged.
And that does it for this edition of Behind the Headlines; I do hope the interview with Chris Mhike the lawyer defending the driver involved in this accident will help to shed some light on the circumstances
Shortwave Radio
07 March 2009
Susan Tsvangirai: the life of
A RETIRING and diffident housewife, many who came into contact with Susan Tsvangirai -- the late wife of Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai -- were struck by her humility.
As the wife of a crusading trade unionist and later leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, she often had to juggle the double life of raising the couple’s six children and hosting the hordes who come to their house everyday.
“She was down to earth, a typical African woman,” says Yvonne Mahlunge, a family friend and Zimbabwean lawyer based in London.
“The thing about her was her consistency… not wanting to be involved in politics but remaining extremely supportive of her husband. She attended many MDC meetings and did slogans but she was not cut for the world of politics.”
Trudy Stevenson, a former MP and MDC founding member said: "The most warm, human, down-to-earth person. She was Morgan's anchor - and indeed the party's! She was always so welcoming, so much 'the mother', and encouraged women in particular to be involved and be part of the group and the process for change.
"To her, everyone in the process for change was part of her family, and we all felt that, and responded accordingly."
Susan Tsvangirai, who was in her early 50s when she died in a car crash on Friday, March 6, rarely gave interviews to reporters. Ahead of the 2002 presidential elections which her husband controversially lost, she said she hoped to be a “mother of the nation”.
"I am excited, but slightly daunted," she told the Sunday Telegraph. "There is a lot of work to do. I am looking forward to being not only the mother of my own children but the mother of the nation as well.
"Despite all the intimidation and the security, there is no need to live in fear, because we are all going to die one day, violently or otherwise. There is nothing any of us can do about that.”
She met her husband in 1977 when Tsvangirai was working for Trojan Nickel Mine, and they discovered that they shared the same hometown of Buhera.
They eventually had six children, and she tended to prefer her privacy over the political spotlight.
"I will have to get used to it," she said of public life in a 2000 interview with the Daily News. "How will I avoid it? There will be no place to hide.”
Every Sunday, if couple were in Harare, she went to worship at the Methodist church in Malbereign.
Susan lived briefly in South Africa late last year after security concerns around Tsvangirai and his family were raised. She only returned when the MDC leader finally agreed to join a power sharing with long time rival, President Robert Mugabe.
NewZimbabwe.com
As the wife of a crusading trade unionist and later leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, she often had to juggle the double life of raising the couple’s six children and hosting the hordes who come to their house everyday.
“She was down to earth, a typical African woman,” says Yvonne Mahlunge, a family friend and Zimbabwean lawyer based in London.
“The thing about her was her consistency… not wanting to be involved in politics but remaining extremely supportive of her husband. She attended many MDC meetings and did slogans but she was not cut for the world of politics.”
Trudy Stevenson, a former MP and MDC founding member said: "The most warm, human, down-to-earth person. She was Morgan's anchor - and indeed the party's! She was always so welcoming, so much 'the mother', and encouraged women in particular to be involved and be part of the group and the process for change.
"To her, everyone in the process for change was part of her family, and we all felt that, and responded accordingly."
Susan Tsvangirai, who was in her early 50s when she died in a car crash on Friday, March 6, rarely gave interviews to reporters. Ahead of the 2002 presidential elections which her husband controversially lost, she said she hoped to be a “mother of the nation”.
"I am excited, but slightly daunted," she told the Sunday Telegraph. "There is a lot of work to do. I am looking forward to being not only the mother of my own children but the mother of the nation as well.
"Despite all the intimidation and the security, there is no need to live in fear, because we are all going to die one day, violently or otherwise. There is nothing any of us can do about that.”
She met her husband in 1977 when Tsvangirai was working for Trojan Nickel Mine, and they discovered that they shared the same hometown of Buhera.
They eventually had six children, and she tended to prefer her privacy over the political spotlight.
"I will have to get used to it," she said of public life in a 2000 interview with the Daily News. "How will I avoid it? There will be no place to hide.”
Every Sunday, if couple were in Harare, she went to worship at the Methodist church in Malbereign.
Susan lived briefly in South Africa late last year after security concerns around Tsvangirai and his family were raised. She only returned when the MDC leader finally agreed to join a power sharing with long time rival, President Robert Mugabe.
NewZimbabwe.com
Prime Minister Injured & Wife Dead!
It is with great regreat and sorrow that we have heard that our Prime Minister was invoilved in a car accident yesterday and his wife succumbed to the injuries and died.
Our heartfelf condolances goes to Mr Tsvangirai, their children and other relatives. This also signifies that we need to pray among other things for the protection of our leaders. We pray for God's comfort and strength to Mr Tsvangirai.
Our heartfelf condolances goes to Mr Tsvangirai, their children and other relatives. This also signifies that we need to pray among other things for the protection of our leaders. We pray for God's comfort and strength to Mr Tsvangirai.
04 March 2009
Prime Minister's inaugural address to parliament
Mr. Speaker Sir, Vice Presidents, Deputy Prime Ministers, Honourable Members;
Thank you for this opportunity to address this, the Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe, which I trust will be amongst the most cooperative, bold and decisive in our country’s history.
This address to Parliament will outline the legislative vision as embodied in the Global Political Agreement and will later be following its presentation to, and approval by, Cabinet and the Council of Ministers.
In the short life of our new Transitional Inclusive Government, I have been encouraged by the enormous support and cooperation I have received and witnessed at the parliamentary, ministerial, executive and civil service levels. If this spirit of teamwork continues, and I have no reason to doubt that it will not, then together we can rebuild our nation and restore Zimbabwe to its proud place in the family of nations.
The signing of the Global Political Agreement on 15 September 2008, signified the soft landing of the Zimbabwe crisis and the commencement of a process that is irreversible and will lead to a new constitution and free and fair elections. It signified the acceptance of the reality that violence has no part to play in our political culture and it signified that the voice of the people can not be silenced indefinitely.
In this new Transitional Inclusive Government executive authority rests with the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. As Prime Minister, I am responsible for overseeing the formulation of government policies and to ensure that the policies so formulated are implemented by the entirety of government.
Mr. Speaker Sir, each one of us here today can be justly proud that we have been chosen by our respective communities in our great country, to represent their interests and to translate their hopes and dreams into policy that will make a positive, tangible and sustainable difference to the lives of those whose trust we have won.
This is not a responsibility to be taken lightly and I know that you will commit yourselves to ensuring that you are conversant with the duties that you swore to uphold when you took your seat in this Parliament.
I know that in this House, there are many interests represented, many views held and many political opinions expressed as to the best way forward for our nation.
While I welcome this diversity and the robust debate that results from it, we must always remember that we are united by the principles contained within the GPA, which has now been given legal form through Constitutional Amendment No. 19. This Agreement provides a solid and irrefutable framework for the task that we have to do in the legislature and the leadership role we have chosen to accept for our people.
The leaders of the three parties represented here, have committed themselves and their members to adhere to the letter and spirit of the GPA and on this there can be no difference, dissent or debate.
Parliament has been committed to implementing the clauses of the GPA and abiding by the Constitution of Zimbabwe. There is no room in this House, in this Government or in this country, for any individuals or groups that wish to prevent progress and keep us mired in the poverty and misery that have come to represent life in Zimbabwe.
Such is the scale of the task ahead, such is the work that we have to do, such is the support that we shall require from the people, that on this we must be united, we must work together and we must put the interests of our nation and our people above all party political considerations.
This is what the GPA asks of each one of us - this is what we, as your leadership, have agreed to - and this is what shall be done.
Mr. Speaker Sir, there can be no viable, permanent or sustainable solution to the problems facing Zimbabwe without the promotion of the people’s freedoms. These freedoms form the bedrock of any democracy and the foundation upon which all development builds. This is recognized within the GPA both via the diversity of freedoms it incorporates and the emphasis it places upon them.
Therefore, during the course of this Parliament a new Constitution will be written. While Parliament will initiate this process, it must be driven by all stakeholders and owned by the people of Zimbabwe. The people will have the final say on its validity, both in terms of process and content, in a referendum that will be held upon its completion.
This new Constitution will be a truly Zimbabwean product, reflecting our history, our diverse cultures our respect for one another and our desire to live free from persecution or fear.
However, there is much work for us to do in promoting freedoms while this Constitutional process is underway.
Firstly, we must lead by example and the GPA commits all political parties to respect and uphold the Constitution and other laws of the land and to the principles of the Rule of Law. In doing this, we must bring to an end the culture of entitlement and impunity that has blighted our country’s recent history. As leaders we will abide by the rule of law and submit ourselves to the people for free, fair and transparent election at regular intervals. If we break the law or lose the support of the people then we do not deserve to represent them and cannot be members of this House.
With the formation of this Transitional Inclusive Government, all Zimbabweans are now able to propagate their political views and canvass for support, free of harassment and intimidation.
The right to freedom of association and assembly are enshrined in the GPA. It commits the police and other law enforcement agencies to conduct themselves in accordance with the law and to observe and uphold the rule of law. The government will therefore undertake training programmes aimed at empowering these arms of government in the understanding and application of human rights and the rule of law, particularly as it relates to freedoms of association and assembly.
Our citizens have the right to express their views to us their leadership. Therefore, the days of the police wantonly and violently breaking up peaceful demonstrations and gatherings and needlessly imprisoning innocent Zimbabweans must now come to an end. In future such activities could bring the threat of prosecution not only on those arresting or interfering with such activities but also on those that ordered such interference and arrests. Command responsibility is a concept we must address and embrace.
No society can be free, or hope to prosper, without freedom of expression and communication. This too is recognised within the GPA by ensuring that the government immediately processes all applications for re-registration and registration of media houses in terms of both the Broadcasting Services Act as well as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Those wishing to practise journalism must be able to do so without being prohibited by unnecessary restrictions or exorbitant fees.
In addition, steps will be taken to ensure that the public media provides balanced and fair coverage to all political parties for their legitimate political activities.
All public and private media must refrain from using abusive language that may incite hostility, political intolerance and ethnic hatred or that unfairly undermines political parties and other organisations.
Once an open and free media environment has been achieved, there will be no need for Zimbabwean radio stations to be based abroad and I would encourage those running and working for such stations to return home and help us build a truly free and open communication network in Zimbabwe.
Such concepts of freedom are not foreign to our culture or our continent, nor are they imposed upon us by outsiders. Evidence of this is clear to see in our neighbouring countries where the rights of the people are defended vigorously, where political parties are free to campaign and where there is a healthy choice of radio and television stations and newspapers to choose from.
Therefore, the GPA only encourages us to strive and implement the attributes that exist in our regional African societies.
Naturally, I could not talk about freedoms without referring to those individuals who continue to languish in prison on seriously contested allegations. Their guilt or innocence is not for us to decide but it is a hallowed principle of our law that one is innocent until proven guilty. These detainees are being punished before they have been convicted. If indeed there is sufficient evidence supporting the allegations against them their respective trials must be given precedence in the national interest. Let a court decide their fate.
The fact that some of these individuals have been incarcerated for months without trial smacks of political persecution. This will not be tolerated under our new Government. Justice must be done and must be seen to be done now.
This issue of justice is not just related to people’s freedoms alone but goes to the very root of the economic recovery programme that this government intends to implement. As proud as we are as nation, the fact of the matter is that we need regional and international financial aid to pull our country back from the economic abyss on which we are poised.
No donor country or institution is going to offer any meaningful assistance unless our new government projects a positive new image. Brutal suppression, wanton arrests and political persecution impede our ability to rebuild our economy, to generate wealth for all, to rebuild our hospitals and schools and to put a currency of value into our savings accounts.
Thus, those who continue to perpetuate the culture of impunity are sabotaging the chances of all Zimbabweans to move towards prosperity and freedom from hunger and poverty.
Not only are they sabotaging these prospects, but they are also going against the letter and the spirit of the GPA. President Mugabe, Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara and I, have pledged to work together to implement a full and comprehensive economic programme to resuscitate Zimbabwe’s economy by addressing urgently the issues of production, food security, poverty and unemployment and the challenges of high inflation, interest rates and the exchange rate.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our economic recovery is also dependent on attracting back to Zimbabwe the millions of our talented and skilled brothers and sisters who fled the turmoil to seek sanctuary and better economic prospects abroad. In getting them to return and join us in rebuilding our nation, adherence to the rule of law and the implementation of sound economic policies are essential.
As part of this process, the Government will establish a National Economic Council comprising representatives of all economic sectors and civic society in Zimbabwe. With the economy, like the other sectors covered by the GPA, no top-down directives can help solve our problems. Only through engaging with all stakeholders, by taking advice, learning about the issues and understanding the complexities of the challenges we face can we hope to formulate policies that will truly address our economic woes.
In this we have already made a positive start. The open use of multiple currencies has removed a major distortion from our economy and allowed the market to dictate a more realistic price for goods and services. In addition, the achievement by the Ministry of Finance to pay a first round of allowances to the civil service has eased the harsh conditions under which these vital employees were living and simultaneously provided a much need stimulus to our economy.
Mr. Speaker Sir, a government that cares about business has no business being in business. Rather, its role is to ensure that an enabling environment exists, albeit regulated, that allows the market to dictate prices for all goods and services without underplaying the developmental role of the state. In turn, business must acknowledge its own responsibilities to pay taxes, provide acceptable employment conditions and to invest in the growth of our nation.
For our nation to grow, we must ensure that we utilise its natural resources as sustainably and productively as possible.
Today, our mines are operating at a fraction of their potential, employing a fraction of the workforce they should and producing a fraction of the revenue they could. During the life of this parliament, we will put in place firm policy directions to revitalise our mining sector so that it can contribute to our economic growth and social recovery.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in the life of this parliament we can make a significant, positive impact on people’s lives if we stay true to the principles to which we have committed ourselves because our people are hard working and educated and our country is well endowed with minerals and fertile soils.
However, the economy of Zimbabwe cannot grow and flourish if we are unable to provide basic services to our citizens. A productive nation is a healthy nation and this government will, as a priority, ensure that our health system receives the resources it needs in order to provide the level of preventative and curative care that all Zimbabweans deserve.
I fear that all of us here today, have lost friends and relatives needlessly due to the appalling standards to which our health system has been allowed to decline. I was shocked by my visit to Harare Central Hospital last week and the conditions that prevail there and throughout the country.
I was embarrassed by the fact that as a nation we could let such institutions decline while spending large amounts of money on non-productive incentives for less valuable sectors of the economy. At the same time, I was enormously proud of the spirit, resilience and dedication of the health staff that have struggled to provide the best care possible despite the absence of equipment, medicines, even light bulbs and functioning ablutions.
Our children have been similarly neglected in that we have scared away our teachers through persecution and wages that fell far below the poverty datum line, while simultaneously neglecting to maintain our educational facilities, provide text books or even mark the exams of those children still able to go to school.
Education is a priority of this government and I commend the work already undertaken by the relevant ministries in these sectors to get an understanding of what is required and set about finding resources and implementing policies that are both practical and viable.
Indeed, like our economic recovery programmes, we cannot hope to restore basic services without working hand in hand with consumer groups, resident’s associations and civil society as a whole. Forming strong partnerships with these key stakeholders is essential if we are to rebuild our nation through the development of sustainable policies for implementation.
I also welcome the moves by those ministries involved in overseeing the operations of our utility companies to rationalise pricing structures and implement a short-term moratorium on disconnections to protect the consumer while realistic pricing structures, in line with regional norms, are established and implemented. I believe that Zimbabweans will accept these new rates if they are accompanied by an improvement in the quality and reliability of the services for which they pay. This government will strive to find a balance between affordability and viability.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in the same way that this government intends to restore basic services, so we shall restore our country’s ability to meet our basic food requirements. Like the mining sector, our agriculture sector has been the victim of negative policy interventions and distortion.
In addition, the collapse of our agricultural production is clear evidence of what can happen to a vital sector of our economy when the rule of law is substituted for the rule of lawlessness.
A viable land acquisition and distribution process is essential to redress the racist land ownership patterns established during the colonial era.
As flawed as the recent process of land redistribution has been, this government does not intend to reverse it, but rather to institute measures that will once again see our agricultural sector becoming the jewel of Southern Africa. To achieve this we need to address the issue of land utilisation above all else.
We must halt the wanton disruptions of productive farming activities that are continuing as I speak. Already our food production for the coming season is going to be less than that of last year’s abysmal season. Those that believe that they can move onto a viable farm and steal the crops that are about to be harvested are wrong. In our culture, as in our law, you cannot reap what you have not sown. In addition, those that are undertaking these activities are threatening seasonal crop production to the value of over US$150 million - money that our economy desperately needs.
In the GPA we have committed ourselves and our parties to recognising that all land is used productively in the interests of all the people of Zimbabwe. A farm is a business that should provide food for our nation, revenue to our economy and employment for our people.
In line with this, your new Government has committed to, amongst other things:
¶ conduct a comprehensive, transparent and non-partisan land audit, during the tenure of this Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe, for the purpose of establishing accountability and eliminating multiple farm ownerships.
¶ ensure that all Zimbabweans who are eligible to be allocated land and who apply for it shall be considered for allocation of land irrespective of race, gender, religion, ethnicity or political affiliation;
¶ ensure security of tenure to all land holders.
¶ work together to secure international support and finance for the land reform programme in terms of compensation for the former land owners and support for new farmers.
This process will go a long way to healing our agricultural sector which in turn will be restored to its vital role in the economy and future of our great nation.
However, we cannot hope to progress without looking at healing our nation as whole. For too long, Zimbabwe has been infected by the diseases of mindless political violence, intolerance and persecution. Millions of Zimbabweans in every community have been affected, which is a fact that is once again recognised and addressed by the GPA.
We all have a role to play in healing our nation. However, we cannot hope to undertake such a vital task if we do not first acknowledge the causes and impacts of this disease in an open, honest and transparent manner.
National healing is not an event, it is a process that must be supported by all Zimbabweans and every community represented in our nation. The treatment that has been prescribed by the GPA rests on the foundations of equality, regional growth and development and an environment of tolerance and respect among Zimbabweans such that all citizens are treated with dignity and decency irrespective of age, gender, race, ethnicity, place of origin or political affiliation.
Due to the importance of this process and to ensure that it is encouraged and supported, the three main political parties in Zimbabwe have each appointed a Minister of State whose sole responsibility is to oversee the mechanisms and procedures through which we can begin to heal our ravaged nation.
This process is not about retribution, instead it is about regeneration, restoration and rehabilitation and it must have both the grassroots and leadership buy-in and support.
Only through beginning the process of healing our nation can we move towards regaining our rightful place in the family of nations.
While in recent years, it is a fact that the relationship between Zimbabwe and the international donor community has deteriorated, it must also be recognised that this community has not abandoned the population of Zimbabwe, remaining significantly involved in responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
We also have to recognise that Trade relations, particularly with the EU have not been the subject of any restriction. We have signed an interim Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU at the end of 2007, and we are party to the ongoing negotiations leading towards a full Trade Agreement.
What we need is to fully re-establish relationships with the international donor community, which will be respectful of our sovereignty, not a relationship essentially based on humanitarian assistance.
We are grateful for the support that this new government has received already from the international community but we recognise that the onus is upon us, as citizens of this nation, to lay the foundation for greater international support, cooperation and integration.
By working together to promote freedoms at home and ensuring that we abide by the international treaties and conventions that we have ratified as a country, this would lead to our acceptance by the international community as a country and as individuals in the family of nations.
I therefore urge the international community to recognise our efforts, and to note the progress that we make in this regard, and to match our progress by moving towards the removal of restrictive measures.
Mr. Speaker Sir, addressing the humanitarian crisis remains a focus of this government. I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Deputy Prime Minister Khupe as the Humanitarian Coordinator in the Prime Minister’s office. She will liaise with all stake holders in order to compliment the ongoing coordination efforts and ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness of our humanitarian response.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we have much work to do but I know that we are up to the challenge of honouring the letter and spirit of the GPA and ensuring that we as individuals and as a Government abide by the rule of law and the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
In this we also have a duty to ensure that all State institutions discharge their duties impartially, that laws and regulations governing state organs and institutions are strictly adhered to and those violating them be penalised without fear or favour and that recruitment policies and practices be conducted in a manner that ensures that no political or other form of favouritism is practised.
In this, and in ensuring that all persons are adequately protected within the laws of the country, we have an opportunity to implement Security Reform Legislation to enshrine our police as protectors of the rights of the people and our armed forces as the protectors of our nation.
The first step of this process has already been taken with the passing of the National Security Council Bill which is now law.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we also have an opportunity to distinguish ourselves as leaders, not just through the policies we develop and legislation we pass, but also through the ways in which we conduct ourselves as the elected representatives of the people.
As a start, I request Mr. Speaker Sir, that you ensure that the mechanism for the declaration of assets by Honourable Members is enforced.
Going forward, we need to buttress this by additional measures at executive level to strengthen the fight against corruption through increased accountability and transparency by all members of our Government.
In addition to requiring Members to declare their income, liabilities and assets and it would serve as a valuable framework to guide us in the execution of our duties.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our new government will be open and transparent. We must ensure that there is clear distinction between the role of the various political parties and the role of the government. Similarly, we must acknowledge and enforce the defined separation of powers between this Parliament and the Executive.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our government cannot fulfill its mandate without respect and a spirit of cooperation between Ministers and Parliament, both of which must work together to ensure the needs of the people are addressed.
Therefore I urge all Ministers, in the spirit of openness and transparency, to actively participate in Parliamentary Question Time and to work with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees once they have been constituted.
Also, in this spirit of openness, today we are launching the Prime Minister’s website that will not only serve to keep the people informed about the activities of our government, but will also provide an interactive forum for the people to participate and contribute to the affairs of government. The address of this website is www.zimbabweprimeminister.org.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we must now work together to formulate our legislative agenda. Those ministries which govern legislation that may be affected by the GPA and Constitutional Amendment No. 19 should work on reviewing these laws for presentation to cabinet. The first step in this process will be the ministerial retreat to be held next week where such reviews can be discussed in a spirit of cooperation and inclusiveness.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our nation and our peoples have paid the price for the political differences that have divided us for too long. Now that we have formed this Transitional Inclusive Government, we all have the opportunity to put the needs of the people above our own, to put the development of our nation above party differences and to look the future rather than live in the past.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Honourable Members, together we can work for the betterment of Zimbabwe, the growth of our nation and the honour of our people.
God Bless our beloved Zimbabwe and its people. God bless Africa.
I thank you.
NewZimbabwe.com
Thank you for this opportunity to address this, the Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe, which I trust will be amongst the most cooperative, bold and decisive in our country’s history.
This address to Parliament will outline the legislative vision as embodied in the Global Political Agreement and will later be following its presentation to, and approval by, Cabinet and the Council of Ministers.
In the short life of our new Transitional Inclusive Government, I have been encouraged by the enormous support and cooperation I have received and witnessed at the parliamentary, ministerial, executive and civil service levels. If this spirit of teamwork continues, and I have no reason to doubt that it will not, then together we can rebuild our nation and restore Zimbabwe to its proud place in the family of nations.
The signing of the Global Political Agreement on 15 September 2008, signified the soft landing of the Zimbabwe crisis and the commencement of a process that is irreversible and will lead to a new constitution and free and fair elections. It signified the acceptance of the reality that violence has no part to play in our political culture and it signified that the voice of the people can not be silenced indefinitely.
In this new Transitional Inclusive Government executive authority rests with the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. As Prime Minister, I am responsible for overseeing the formulation of government policies and to ensure that the policies so formulated are implemented by the entirety of government.
Mr. Speaker Sir, each one of us here today can be justly proud that we have been chosen by our respective communities in our great country, to represent their interests and to translate their hopes and dreams into policy that will make a positive, tangible and sustainable difference to the lives of those whose trust we have won.
This is not a responsibility to be taken lightly and I know that you will commit yourselves to ensuring that you are conversant with the duties that you swore to uphold when you took your seat in this Parliament.
I know that in this House, there are many interests represented, many views held and many political opinions expressed as to the best way forward for our nation.
While I welcome this diversity and the robust debate that results from it, we must always remember that we are united by the principles contained within the GPA, which has now been given legal form through Constitutional Amendment No. 19. This Agreement provides a solid and irrefutable framework for the task that we have to do in the legislature and the leadership role we have chosen to accept for our people.
The leaders of the three parties represented here, have committed themselves and their members to adhere to the letter and spirit of the GPA and on this there can be no difference, dissent or debate.
Parliament has been committed to implementing the clauses of the GPA and abiding by the Constitution of Zimbabwe. There is no room in this House, in this Government or in this country, for any individuals or groups that wish to prevent progress and keep us mired in the poverty and misery that have come to represent life in Zimbabwe.
Such is the scale of the task ahead, such is the work that we have to do, such is the support that we shall require from the people, that on this we must be united, we must work together and we must put the interests of our nation and our people above all party political considerations.
This is what the GPA asks of each one of us - this is what we, as your leadership, have agreed to - and this is what shall be done.
Mr. Speaker Sir, there can be no viable, permanent or sustainable solution to the problems facing Zimbabwe without the promotion of the people’s freedoms. These freedoms form the bedrock of any democracy and the foundation upon which all development builds. This is recognized within the GPA both via the diversity of freedoms it incorporates and the emphasis it places upon them.
Therefore, during the course of this Parliament a new Constitution will be written. While Parliament will initiate this process, it must be driven by all stakeholders and owned by the people of Zimbabwe. The people will have the final say on its validity, both in terms of process and content, in a referendum that will be held upon its completion.
This new Constitution will be a truly Zimbabwean product, reflecting our history, our diverse cultures our respect for one another and our desire to live free from persecution or fear.
However, there is much work for us to do in promoting freedoms while this Constitutional process is underway.
Firstly, we must lead by example and the GPA commits all political parties to respect and uphold the Constitution and other laws of the land and to the principles of the Rule of Law. In doing this, we must bring to an end the culture of entitlement and impunity that has blighted our country’s recent history. As leaders we will abide by the rule of law and submit ourselves to the people for free, fair and transparent election at regular intervals. If we break the law or lose the support of the people then we do not deserve to represent them and cannot be members of this House.
With the formation of this Transitional Inclusive Government, all Zimbabweans are now able to propagate their political views and canvass for support, free of harassment and intimidation.
The right to freedom of association and assembly are enshrined in the GPA. It commits the police and other law enforcement agencies to conduct themselves in accordance with the law and to observe and uphold the rule of law. The government will therefore undertake training programmes aimed at empowering these arms of government in the understanding and application of human rights and the rule of law, particularly as it relates to freedoms of association and assembly.
Our citizens have the right to express their views to us their leadership. Therefore, the days of the police wantonly and violently breaking up peaceful demonstrations and gatherings and needlessly imprisoning innocent Zimbabweans must now come to an end. In future such activities could bring the threat of prosecution not only on those arresting or interfering with such activities but also on those that ordered such interference and arrests. Command responsibility is a concept we must address and embrace.
No society can be free, or hope to prosper, without freedom of expression and communication. This too is recognised within the GPA by ensuring that the government immediately processes all applications for re-registration and registration of media houses in terms of both the Broadcasting Services Act as well as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Those wishing to practise journalism must be able to do so without being prohibited by unnecessary restrictions or exorbitant fees.
In addition, steps will be taken to ensure that the public media provides balanced and fair coverage to all political parties for their legitimate political activities.
All public and private media must refrain from using abusive language that may incite hostility, political intolerance and ethnic hatred or that unfairly undermines political parties and other organisations.
Once an open and free media environment has been achieved, there will be no need for Zimbabwean radio stations to be based abroad and I would encourage those running and working for such stations to return home and help us build a truly free and open communication network in Zimbabwe.
Such concepts of freedom are not foreign to our culture or our continent, nor are they imposed upon us by outsiders. Evidence of this is clear to see in our neighbouring countries where the rights of the people are defended vigorously, where political parties are free to campaign and where there is a healthy choice of radio and television stations and newspapers to choose from.
Therefore, the GPA only encourages us to strive and implement the attributes that exist in our regional African societies.
Naturally, I could not talk about freedoms without referring to those individuals who continue to languish in prison on seriously contested allegations. Their guilt or innocence is not for us to decide but it is a hallowed principle of our law that one is innocent until proven guilty. These detainees are being punished before they have been convicted. If indeed there is sufficient evidence supporting the allegations against them their respective trials must be given precedence in the national interest. Let a court decide their fate.
The fact that some of these individuals have been incarcerated for months without trial smacks of political persecution. This will not be tolerated under our new Government. Justice must be done and must be seen to be done now.
This issue of justice is not just related to people’s freedoms alone but goes to the very root of the economic recovery programme that this government intends to implement. As proud as we are as nation, the fact of the matter is that we need regional and international financial aid to pull our country back from the economic abyss on which we are poised.
No donor country or institution is going to offer any meaningful assistance unless our new government projects a positive new image. Brutal suppression, wanton arrests and political persecution impede our ability to rebuild our economy, to generate wealth for all, to rebuild our hospitals and schools and to put a currency of value into our savings accounts.
Thus, those who continue to perpetuate the culture of impunity are sabotaging the chances of all Zimbabweans to move towards prosperity and freedom from hunger and poverty.
Not only are they sabotaging these prospects, but they are also going against the letter and the spirit of the GPA. President Mugabe, Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara and I, have pledged to work together to implement a full and comprehensive economic programme to resuscitate Zimbabwe’s economy by addressing urgently the issues of production, food security, poverty and unemployment and the challenges of high inflation, interest rates and the exchange rate.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our economic recovery is also dependent on attracting back to Zimbabwe the millions of our talented and skilled brothers and sisters who fled the turmoil to seek sanctuary and better economic prospects abroad. In getting them to return and join us in rebuilding our nation, adherence to the rule of law and the implementation of sound economic policies are essential.
As part of this process, the Government will establish a National Economic Council comprising representatives of all economic sectors and civic society in Zimbabwe. With the economy, like the other sectors covered by the GPA, no top-down directives can help solve our problems. Only through engaging with all stakeholders, by taking advice, learning about the issues and understanding the complexities of the challenges we face can we hope to formulate policies that will truly address our economic woes.
In this we have already made a positive start. The open use of multiple currencies has removed a major distortion from our economy and allowed the market to dictate a more realistic price for goods and services. In addition, the achievement by the Ministry of Finance to pay a first round of allowances to the civil service has eased the harsh conditions under which these vital employees were living and simultaneously provided a much need stimulus to our economy.
Mr. Speaker Sir, a government that cares about business has no business being in business. Rather, its role is to ensure that an enabling environment exists, albeit regulated, that allows the market to dictate prices for all goods and services without underplaying the developmental role of the state. In turn, business must acknowledge its own responsibilities to pay taxes, provide acceptable employment conditions and to invest in the growth of our nation.
For our nation to grow, we must ensure that we utilise its natural resources as sustainably and productively as possible.
Today, our mines are operating at a fraction of their potential, employing a fraction of the workforce they should and producing a fraction of the revenue they could. During the life of this parliament, we will put in place firm policy directions to revitalise our mining sector so that it can contribute to our economic growth and social recovery.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in the life of this parliament we can make a significant, positive impact on people’s lives if we stay true to the principles to which we have committed ourselves because our people are hard working and educated and our country is well endowed with minerals and fertile soils.
However, the economy of Zimbabwe cannot grow and flourish if we are unable to provide basic services to our citizens. A productive nation is a healthy nation and this government will, as a priority, ensure that our health system receives the resources it needs in order to provide the level of preventative and curative care that all Zimbabweans deserve.
I fear that all of us here today, have lost friends and relatives needlessly due to the appalling standards to which our health system has been allowed to decline. I was shocked by my visit to Harare Central Hospital last week and the conditions that prevail there and throughout the country.
I was embarrassed by the fact that as a nation we could let such institutions decline while spending large amounts of money on non-productive incentives for less valuable sectors of the economy. At the same time, I was enormously proud of the spirit, resilience and dedication of the health staff that have struggled to provide the best care possible despite the absence of equipment, medicines, even light bulbs and functioning ablutions.
Our children have been similarly neglected in that we have scared away our teachers through persecution and wages that fell far below the poverty datum line, while simultaneously neglecting to maintain our educational facilities, provide text books or even mark the exams of those children still able to go to school.
Education is a priority of this government and I commend the work already undertaken by the relevant ministries in these sectors to get an understanding of what is required and set about finding resources and implementing policies that are both practical and viable.
Indeed, like our economic recovery programmes, we cannot hope to restore basic services without working hand in hand with consumer groups, resident’s associations and civil society as a whole. Forming strong partnerships with these key stakeholders is essential if we are to rebuild our nation through the development of sustainable policies for implementation.
I also welcome the moves by those ministries involved in overseeing the operations of our utility companies to rationalise pricing structures and implement a short-term moratorium on disconnections to protect the consumer while realistic pricing structures, in line with regional norms, are established and implemented. I believe that Zimbabweans will accept these new rates if they are accompanied by an improvement in the quality and reliability of the services for which they pay. This government will strive to find a balance between affordability and viability.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in the same way that this government intends to restore basic services, so we shall restore our country’s ability to meet our basic food requirements. Like the mining sector, our agriculture sector has been the victim of negative policy interventions and distortion.
In addition, the collapse of our agricultural production is clear evidence of what can happen to a vital sector of our economy when the rule of law is substituted for the rule of lawlessness.
A viable land acquisition and distribution process is essential to redress the racist land ownership patterns established during the colonial era.
As flawed as the recent process of land redistribution has been, this government does not intend to reverse it, but rather to institute measures that will once again see our agricultural sector becoming the jewel of Southern Africa. To achieve this we need to address the issue of land utilisation above all else.
We must halt the wanton disruptions of productive farming activities that are continuing as I speak. Already our food production for the coming season is going to be less than that of last year’s abysmal season. Those that believe that they can move onto a viable farm and steal the crops that are about to be harvested are wrong. In our culture, as in our law, you cannot reap what you have not sown. In addition, those that are undertaking these activities are threatening seasonal crop production to the value of over US$150 million - money that our economy desperately needs.
In the GPA we have committed ourselves and our parties to recognising that all land is used productively in the interests of all the people of Zimbabwe. A farm is a business that should provide food for our nation, revenue to our economy and employment for our people.
In line with this, your new Government has committed to, amongst other things:
¶ conduct a comprehensive, transparent and non-partisan land audit, during the tenure of this Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe, for the purpose of establishing accountability and eliminating multiple farm ownerships.
¶ ensure that all Zimbabweans who are eligible to be allocated land and who apply for it shall be considered for allocation of land irrespective of race, gender, religion, ethnicity or political affiliation;
¶ ensure security of tenure to all land holders.
¶ work together to secure international support and finance for the land reform programme in terms of compensation for the former land owners and support for new farmers.
This process will go a long way to healing our agricultural sector which in turn will be restored to its vital role in the economy and future of our great nation.
However, we cannot hope to progress without looking at healing our nation as whole. For too long, Zimbabwe has been infected by the diseases of mindless political violence, intolerance and persecution. Millions of Zimbabweans in every community have been affected, which is a fact that is once again recognised and addressed by the GPA.
We all have a role to play in healing our nation. However, we cannot hope to undertake such a vital task if we do not first acknowledge the causes and impacts of this disease in an open, honest and transparent manner.
National healing is not an event, it is a process that must be supported by all Zimbabweans and every community represented in our nation. The treatment that has been prescribed by the GPA rests on the foundations of equality, regional growth and development and an environment of tolerance and respect among Zimbabweans such that all citizens are treated with dignity and decency irrespective of age, gender, race, ethnicity, place of origin or political affiliation.
Due to the importance of this process and to ensure that it is encouraged and supported, the three main political parties in Zimbabwe have each appointed a Minister of State whose sole responsibility is to oversee the mechanisms and procedures through which we can begin to heal our ravaged nation.
This process is not about retribution, instead it is about regeneration, restoration and rehabilitation and it must have both the grassroots and leadership buy-in and support.
Only through beginning the process of healing our nation can we move towards regaining our rightful place in the family of nations.
While in recent years, it is a fact that the relationship between Zimbabwe and the international donor community has deteriorated, it must also be recognised that this community has not abandoned the population of Zimbabwe, remaining significantly involved in responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
We also have to recognise that Trade relations, particularly with the EU have not been the subject of any restriction. We have signed an interim Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU at the end of 2007, and we are party to the ongoing negotiations leading towards a full Trade Agreement.
What we need is to fully re-establish relationships with the international donor community, which will be respectful of our sovereignty, not a relationship essentially based on humanitarian assistance.
We are grateful for the support that this new government has received already from the international community but we recognise that the onus is upon us, as citizens of this nation, to lay the foundation for greater international support, cooperation and integration.
By working together to promote freedoms at home and ensuring that we abide by the international treaties and conventions that we have ratified as a country, this would lead to our acceptance by the international community as a country and as individuals in the family of nations.
I therefore urge the international community to recognise our efforts, and to note the progress that we make in this regard, and to match our progress by moving towards the removal of restrictive measures.
Mr. Speaker Sir, addressing the humanitarian crisis remains a focus of this government. I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Deputy Prime Minister Khupe as the Humanitarian Coordinator in the Prime Minister’s office. She will liaise with all stake holders in order to compliment the ongoing coordination efforts and ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness of our humanitarian response.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we have much work to do but I know that we are up to the challenge of honouring the letter and spirit of the GPA and ensuring that we as individuals and as a Government abide by the rule of law and the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
In this we also have a duty to ensure that all State institutions discharge their duties impartially, that laws and regulations governing state organs and institutions are strictly adhered to and those violating them be penalised without fear or favour and that recruitment policies and practices be conducted in a manner that ensures that no political or other form of favouritism is practised.
In this, and in ensuring that all persons are adequately protected within the laws of the country, we have an opportunity to implement Security Reform Legislation to enshrine our police as protectors of the rights of the people and our armed forces as the protectors of our nation.
The first step of this process has already been taken with the passing of the National Security Council Bill which is now law.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we also have an opportunity to distinguish ourselves as leaders, not just through the policies we develop and legislation we pass, but also through the ways in which we conduct ourselves as the elected representatives of the people.
As a start, I request Mr. Speaker Sir, that you ensure that the mechanism for the declaration of assets by Honourable Members is enforced.
Going forward, we need to buttress this by additional measures at executive level to strengthen the fight against corruption through increased accountability and transparency by all members of our Government.
In addition to requiring Members to declare their income, liabilities and assets and it would serve as a valuable framework to guide us in the execution of our duties.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our new government will be open and transparent. We must ensure that there is clear distinction between the role of the various political parties and the role of the government. Similarly, we must acknowledge and enforce the defined separation of powers between this Parliament and the Executive.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our government cannot fulfill its mandate without respect and a spirit of cooperation between Ministers and Parliament, both of which must work together to ensure the needs of the people are addressed.
Therefore I urge all Ministers, in the spirit of openness and transparency, to actively participate in Parliamentary Question Time and to work with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees once they have been constituted.
Also, in this spirit of openness, today we are launching the Prime Minister’s website that will not only serve to keep the people informed about the activities of our government, but will also provide an interactive forum for the people to participate and contribute to the affairs of government. The address of this website is www.zimbabweprimeminister.org.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we must now work together to formulate our legislative agenda. Those ministries which govern legislation that may be affected by the GPA and Constitutional Amendment No. 19 should work on reviewing these laws for presentation to cabinet. The first step in this process will be the ministerial retreat to be held next week where such reviews can be discussed in a spirit of cooperation and inclusiveness.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our nation and our peoples have paid the price for the political differences that have divided us for too long. Now that we have formed this Transitional Inclusive Government, we all have the opportunity to put the needs of the people above our own, to put the development of our nation above party differences and to look the future rather than live in the past.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Honourable Members, together we can work for the betterment of Zimbabwe, the growth of our nation and the honour of our people.
God Bless our beloved Zimbabwe and its people. God bless Africa.
I thank you.
NewZimbabwe.com
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